When Kaspersky Lab Channel Chief Nancy Reynolds surfaced at the recent VMworld 2012 conference, it was the latest sign that security software companies want to help channel partners safeguard virtualized systems and private cloud environments. But will channel partners jump on the bandwagon?

Reynolds and her Kaspersky Lab peers have been talking up secure virtualization for quite some time. And VMware (NYSE: VMW) touted the relationship during a Kaspersky partner conference in May 2012. So where are the two companies heading next?

The answer involves Kaspersky Security for Virtualization gaining Intrusion Detection and Intrusion Prevention technologies, providing agentless security to protect virtual machines from network attacks, the company says. That solution will become part of the recently announced VMware Ready for Networking and Security Program.

What’s the opportunity for channel partners? According to O+K Research:

81 percent of US companies run business critical services in virtual environments

53 percent of businesses surveyed in the US are not securing their virtual infrastructure

27 percent believe that the security risks in a virtual environment are lower or significantly lower than those for physical infrastructure

The VAR Guy certainly does not believe virtualized environments are wide open to attack. Surely most of those virtualized servers and private clouds sit behind major security infrastructure. But Kaspersky Lab and VMware could be onto something here, considering that most businesses have yet to wrap a specific security solution around virtualized systems.

During a sit-down with The VAR Guy, Reynolds made it clear that Kaspersky Lab intends to maximize its relationship with VMware while working more closely with channel partners. And during VMworld, traffic to the Kaspersky Lab booth was intense.

Still, competition looms. McAfee, Trend Micro, Symantec and Sophos each have security solutions and strategies for virtualized environments. That’s triggering plenty of customer choice and partner choice — though Kaspersky Lab’s Reynolds says her company wants an unfair share of the market, with an assist from partners.

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